Tire-protector.



J. G. HAMMBB..

TIB.B PROTECTOR. APPLIOATION IILBD 1mv.7, i910.

Patented Dec. 19,1911.

JOSEPH C. HAMMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIRE-PRQTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Applicaton filed November 7, 1910. Serial No. 591,053.

To all whom it muy c0nccrn.

Be it known that 'I, JOSEPH C. ITAMMER. a citizen of the UnitedStatesgresidiug at Chicago, in the count v of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovemeuts in'lirelrotectors, of which the following is a specification.

This inveution relatos to protectors for pneumatic tires and is designedparticularly to protect such tires against blowouts at their weakestpoints.

My invention has for its objects to provide a clamp and boot of suchtype as may bc applied to the tire without the neecssity of detlatingit; to provide a cla1np that will afl"ord a support to the tire close toits supporting flanges; and to provide a tension controlled elamp forholding the protector in proper position upon the tire.

The invention further consists in the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described. y

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a cross section through a tire showing inelevation the elamp and protector attached; Fig. 2, a side elevation ofFig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan view of the boot designed to be used incombination with the clamp. i

A tire 4 is shown mounted on a felly 5 and supported between flanges 6.Said tire is gripped on either side by jaws 7 and 8 mounted on arms 9and 10 respeetivcly, which arms are pivoted at a common point 11. Acompression spring 12 is interposed between said arms at one end in sucha mark ner that the jaws are forced inward against the tire. A bolt 13Vli es within said spring having one end 14 eountersunk in the arm 9 andthe other end threaded to receive thereon a nut 15. material surroundsthe tire and has its longitudinal ends clamped within the jaws 7 and 8.Said boot is provided with headed pins 17 adapted to engage in slots 18formed along the upper surface of the jaws. As shown in Fig. 2 the slotsare formed with oppositely extending bayonet slots 19 and 20 theposition of the slot 19 being somewhat above that of 20. Thisconstruction will permit of the boot being readjusted from time to timeupon the tire, inasmuch as the pins 17 can be made to engage in any ofthe slots as desired.

My device is designed to be used inconnection with wheels having thereonpneumatic tires. vWhere the outer casing of such A boot 16 of leather orother tires becomes weakened at some known point it is liable to blowout. It is to strengthen such a wcakened place on the tire that myprotector is designed. In applying the protector on the tire the nut 15may be screwed up on the boli; 13 to overeome the strong pressureexerted by the spring, thereby causing the jaws to open. This may bedone either when the tire is inflated or deflated. The boot 16 is thenplaced around the tire at the point where its support is needed and thepins 17 are positioned in the slots 18. The boot when first used willprobably fit snugly upon the tire and the pins will accordingly engagein the bayonet slots 19. [t is of course evident that the boot willstretch and tend to loosen upon the tire. The boot can then be adjustedwith respect to the clamp by having the mins engage the openings .20 ofthe bayonet si 7 the boot can be adjusted from time to time upon thetire by having the pins engage with difi'erent bayonet slots.

The use of a boot encircling the outside of the tire, whose ends arelaced on the inside of the felly is quite common. Certain diflieultiesarise with this type of protector. In the first place, that portion ofthe tire adjaeent the supporting flanges receives no support from theboot and in the second place, there is considerable boot material hableto stretch, thcreby making constant readjustment of said boot necessary.These ohjeotions I have overcome with the use of m y protector. Theclamp, it will be noticed, engages the tire on both sides close to thesupporting flanges. This portion of the tire frequently receives theseverest strain. Furthermore, the means I employ, to hold the boot inplace, namel v, the engagement of its pins in the slotted clamp, resultsin less material being necessary for the boot, and less opportunity forthe boot to stretch or loosen upon the tire.

Another feature of my construction is that the tight clamping of the jawupon the side of the tire will efl'ectually prevent anyslippingor'travel of the boot along the tire. Where a boot is held inplace only by lacing its longitudinal ends on the inside of the felly, acertain amount of travel upon the tire Will always occur, and it is verylikely that the boot Will then have slipped ofi' the weak point on thetire that it was designed to protect.

The interposition of a spring between the ots. Obv1ously ends of the armprovides for a certain amount of resilency between the jaws act ing uponthe tire. That portion of the tire which bears upon the pavement isnecessarily compressed. Where this compression is on that portion of thetire where a. blowout has occurred, it is obvious that at that point thetire is subjected to unusual strain. By providing jg1ws that bear upstiflly against the side of the tire capable of being sprung outwardlyagainst the strong tension of the spring, the tire can give and compresssuiiciently to maintain the resiiiency safeiy. It is very likely that a,weak place on the tire may be close to the Supporting fianges. In such acase if the tire is not seriously impaired, my clamp may be usedindependently of the boot.

I claim: A tire protector comprismg compamon arms, said arms swingingaround a common pivotal center, a shield-like member on the ouber end ofeach, of suid arm's oppositely disposed to.one another andclampmg thetire on pposite sides thereof, said arms be ing free with respect to thewheel body, wherebythe shieldlike members muy be adjusted to the desiredposition u on the tire body, tension mechanism for olding theShield-like members in engagement with the tire body com rising abension member located at one si e of said pivotal center and exertingforce, tending to throw the Shield-like members into engaging positionwith the tire, a boot sitioned on said tire, and means for lockmg saidboot to said shield-like members, substantial1y as described.

-JOSEPH C. HAMMER. Witnesses:

EPHRAIM BAN XING. Rose LEIISKY.

